Volutoconus (genus)

Taxobox
name = "Volutoconus"


image_caption = Red Volute, "Volutoconus grossi"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Mollusca
classis = Gastropoda
subclassis = Orthogastropoda
ordo = Sorbeoconcha
superfamilia = Volutoidea
familia = Volutidae
genus = "Volutoconus"
genus_authority = Crosse, 1871
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision = *"Volutoconus bednalli"
"Volutoconus coniformis"
"Volutoconus grossi"
"Volutoconus hargraevesi"

"Volutoconus" is a small taxonomic genus of four rare species of medium sized predatory marine gastropod in the family Volutidae.

Distribution

"Volutoconus" live in tropical and subtropical waters. All four species live in in Australia and one species "Volutoconus bednalli" extends into Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. "Volutoconus" species live in sand and rubble from shallow subtidal zone to over 200 m deep.

Shell description

The shells of "Volutoconus" have a bluntly rounded apex with a small sharp protoconch, a solid glossy cylindrical shaped shell with an elongate aperture with 4 distinct columellar plicae. "Volutoconus coniformis", "V. grossi" and "V. hargraevesi" are reddish brown in colour and "V. bednalli" is yellow with reticulate blue-black bands.

Notes

"Volutoconus" are rarely found alive and very little is known about their biology.

References

"Australian marine shells 2"Wilson B, Odyssey Publishing, Kallaroo, Western Australia 1994ISBN 0-646-155225-4